


Double Dipping

by Red_Hair_Dont_Care



Series: A Matter of Akumas and Butterflies [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-05-26 16:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15005042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Hair_Dont_Care/pseuds/Red_Hair_Dont_Care
Summary: If Adrien were to be over-protective of Marinette, what would happen to the two? If Cat Blanc shows through, what will his Princess do, and where's Ladybug when Paris needs her? Then, when Marinette finds out the truth, what'll happen to the bond these two have?Please note: While I did use the warning for Graphic Depictions of Violence, there isn't actually any, just descriptions about a stab-wound. In Chapter 4. So, this may still make you want to read a different fic, but I assure you, that there is no true violence. Only descriptions of the aftermath of attacks. Nothing more.





	1. Introducing Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Miraculers!  
> This is my first Adrien akumatized story, however, this is, obviously, not my first akumatized story. If you have suggestions on how I should go about THIS fanfic, please let me know! 
> 
> ~Bug out!

Marinette

It has been about a month since Glaciator was defeated, and two weeks since Troublemaker. I had feared that Cat Noir had seen me without my mask, but he's been the same around Ladybug, and he never comes to see Marinette, so I can only hope (and pray) that he truly doesn't know who I am.

The thing is, I've been acting a little different around him myself, but I would never admit that out loud. It’s not like I’ve begun to love him, but I have begun to respond more to his flirts. Seeing as Adrien seems to be interested in someone else, I've respected that and I've begun to back off him, trying to move away from love itself. My stutter has slowly begun to get better, and I haven't gained one around my partner.  _Yet_. Okay, so here's the facts, because this is confusing me too. #1 Cat Noir and I have grown close, and the boy seems as intent as ever to flirt with Ladybug, but those seem to be lacking the adoration they used to hold. #2 I have just allowed myself to be content without loving anybody, but I have been teasing Cat with flirts of my own. #3 The final thing is that the cat-themed hero has been hanging around my bakery more and more often. His flirts now seem directed towards my civilian form, so I just roll my eyes whenever he tries, but internally, I'm beaming.

Adrien

Ever since Glaciator came and went, I've been hanging out with Marinette much more. Not only in my civilian form but as Cat Noir as well. 

My friend used to stutter whenever I talked to her, but whatever reason she had must've slipped her mind because now she talks to me with ease and I often get to see her sassy, assertive, confident side. I've come to be best friends with Marinette, partially because of Alya and Nino dating and leaving us two alone, partially because I've just grown to the girl, and we're spending more and more time together. In fact, I've grown so close to Marinette that I believe I have begun to fall for her. Of course, I can't tell anyone this, because I know Nino would just be Nino and do that creepy eyebrow thing that seems to be suggesting the worst of things. Then there's the fact that Alya and Marinette have been talking about how Mari has gotten over her first crush - whoever that could be - and is now trying to live life without love for the moment. 

I've considered telling Nino several times about my growing feelings for the bluenette, but since he agrees with Marinette about staying single for the moment, I can't very well do that, so I've resorted to keeping this between Plagg and me.

Nino

I can tell when something's up with my bro, and something is definitely wrong. He's been a lot quieter lately, and whenever Marinette's love life is brought up in a conversation, for whatever reason Alya has, he stiffens beyond comfort. In the present, it is lunch on a Monday morning. "Dude, you okay? You've seemed kinda out of it for a month or so now. Wanna talk about it?" 

Adrien

I shake my head a little too vigorously, Marinette and Alya suddenly paying close attention to our conversation. "Yeah, Adrien. What's going on? It's almost like you and Marinette have swapped minds or something." Alya says, letting the reporter in her loose. Ever since I realized I have a crush on the class representative, I've been stuttering around her, even if I'm not talking directly to her. "U-um... I've just come to terms with something, and it's rocked my world, that's all." The girls give each other a suspicious glance, which makes me increasingly nervous.

"You sure, Adrien? You know you can talk to us about anything." I shake my head, refusing to embarrass myself further. "Thanks, Marinette, but I-I think I'll be okay." 

After school, I try to shake my friends, off, but Nino has other plans. "Dude, I know for a fact that you don't have anything right now, so we're all gonna head over to Marinette's and you're gonna stay there until you explain exactly what's been happening to you lately." I sigh. Knowing my friends, they would probably tie me to a chair in order to get what they want. I take that back. Only Alya would actually go through with that,  being a reporter, but Marinette and Nino would stand by and watch or help her. "Yeah, o-okay."

Nino and Alya each take one of my arms, Marinette leading the way to her bakery. We reach the tall-ish building not five minutes later, and we are greeted with the aromas of a bakery. Cookies, cupcakes, croissants, eclairs, and so many other good smells erupt in my nose like a volcano, and we aren't even inside yet. "Guys, you know how I have that model diet?"

I ask quietly to the two people grabbing my arms, practically holding me back from running into the bakery.

My friends nod as we slow the walk to the door. "I might have to break it just this once, to enjoy some of the Dupain-Cheng's food." My best friend and his girlfriend laugh as we walk in to see Tom and Savine chatting idly with a customer, Marinette halfway up the stairs. "Coming guys?"

The three of us glance at each other before following our friend. When we reach the living room, we collapse on the couch, all ready to talk. All except me.

Alya

Agreste is hiding something, and I know I'm on the verge of finding out just what that secret is - no matter how big or small. I've already tried to get him to loosen up, but since Adrien only seems to be comfortable around Nino... "Boys! Marinette and I are going to go get some pillows and snacks. We'll be back in a minute, so don't start without us, okay?" I grab Marinette's hand and pull her to the staircase leading to her room. "Alya!" She hisses. "We don't need those things, so what are you getting at? You know the boys will definitely start talking without us now!" 

I snicker quietly, so the boys don't overhear and get suspicious. "That's the plan girl!" I text Nino, telling him to go ahead with the interrogation while Marinette grabs the things we'll need.

_From Nino: But won't Adrien get suspicious?_

_From You: Nah. Just tell him it'll be better this way cause then you can help him with a cover story for the REAL reason he's been acting so strange. Then you can tell me later so I can inform Mari. Got it?_

He sends an affirmative thumbs up, and I go into the kitchen to get food.

Adrien

"Bro, while the girls are gone, you can tell me what's really on your mind, so then we can come up with a fake story to lead them astray." This is a new side to Nino that I never really expected to see. Sure, maybe from Alya, being a reporter and all, but never Nino. Marinette is the only one who has yet to surprise me, but I think that'll be coming to a close very soon. Nino apparently still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Betraying his girlfriend, **and** Marinette?

"Okay, Nino. This must be  **BIG** if you want to betray the girls like this." He shrugs like it's something he does daily. "Anything for you, dude." I smile, taking a deep breath. "Okay, so you know how Marinette has sworn off the whole lover thing for a while?"


	2. MariCat Is Born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who do not like to read about kiss scenes, I suggest that you skip over a certain paragraph, which I will mark with five asterisks *****. ~Bug out!

Adrien

"Dude, you're not telling me..." Nino interrupts me, and I return the gesture by slapping a hand over his mouth. "Nino!" I hiss quietly. "Don't say it so loud! You could bring the girls back here faster than need be!" He nods and I slowly peel my hand away, sighing in resignation. "Yes, I am. I've been crushing on Marinette this whole time, and I've started stuttering, and I can hardly look at her without blushing, and there's only one way I can see her."

My best friend laughs softly, only intensifying it when I glare at him. "Okay, dude. Two things." He says, choking back his laughter. "One, you do know that Marinette had the biggest crush on you for like, all eternity, right?" It's my turn to choke, and I do so on the breath I'd been taking. "W-what?" I sputter. "M-Marinette, liked me?" He nods, his laugh beginning to return. "Dude, how could you not see it? It was so obvious, that even Chloé knew. That's partially why she hung on you for so long. She wanted Marinette to take a hint and back off, so when our friend did, for what reason, I can't be sure, Chloé lessened her teasing, ever so slightly.

"Two, how can you see her dude? You literally  _just_  said that you can't look at her without blushing or going all Marinettey on her, so what's your plan?"

I hold my breath, trying to think of an excuse out of the messy situation that I've gotten myself into. "Nino, there's only one way I can talk to her, but you  ** _have_**  to promise me that you won't tell anybody at all." Nino nods as I take the deepest breath I can muster. "Okay, so I may just happen to be Cat Noir..." I trail off, waiting for my best friend to figure the rest out. "...So the only way you can talk to Mari is by being your alter-ego?" He guessed. "Yep, pretty much." 

I sigh. "How is this going to work?" Nino shrugs. "Dude, I've got no clue, but we better think of a cover story fast." 

Right at that moment, I could hear Marinette stumbling down the stairs from her room, and Alya raced in dropping food to go help her best friend. "Really fast," Nino added.

Marinette

After the boys leave, Alya gets a text from Nino.

_From Nino: Okay, so here's the whole story. Adrien has this gigantic crush on Marinette, but can't seem to get a word out edgewise, just like she couldn't with him. He now knows that Marinette **used**  to like him, but doesn't know the reason as to why she doesn't anymore, which I would also like to know. He also was trying to figure out a way to talk to her, but we couldn't come up with any, so then we tried to make up a fake story to "lead you girls off track", in your words._

Alya and I crack up at the irony. "Girl! You haven't told Nino the reason you don't like Adrien?" I shake my head, blushing furiously. 

"No way, Alya! Besides, what would I say? 'Oh, I don't love Adrien anymore because I've fallen for Cat Noir, my partner?' Yeah, that'll work out  **just**  great." Tikki and Trixx fly out from my trapdoor. "Marinette, do you have anything besides cookies?" Alya shakes her head at the fox Kwami. "Trixx, we're about to go home, so you can eat there. See you tomorrow, girl." 

My best friend waves as they walk down to the bakery, Trixx hiding in Alya's coat.

I race up to my room, happy to find that I still have some time before I have to leave for patrol with Cat. "Tikki, what am I going to do?" I moan, falling onto my chaise. "What do you mean, Marinette?" I sit up straight, eyes widening. "Tikki! How am I supposed to face Adrien when-when he loves me, but I love Cat?!" I moan again as I climb up onto my balcony. "I mean, I used to get all starry-eyed around Adrien, but now that I've gotten closer to Cat, I can see just how loveable he really is." 

A few minutes later, I'm racing around Paris with my partner, checking for any signs of an akuma, or just anything bad in general. When we find nothing, we exchange hasty goodbyes before going our separate ways.  **(Wayzz, for those of you who appurreciate a good pun)**

I land on my balcony with a little thud, letting my transformation go. Tikki appears out of my earrings, and I catch her before she falls. "Tikki! What's wrong? We didn't do anything  **that** exerting, did we?" 

My little friend shakes her head. "No, I just feel two particularly bad akumas are going to strike in the next few weeks, and they'll be very hard to defeat." I gulp, nervous about what these akumas could possibly be. The Kwami rubs her forehead with a little hand as I gently rest her on my desk. I'm setting a plate of cookies out for Tikki when I hear a thud from above that is not my own. A knock from my skylight tells me that my partner is the intruding person. I groan, reaching for the latch to my trap door, allowing Cat Noir to drop into my room. I find myself very thankful that I did an Adrien cleanse. "Cat Noir! What brings you to my house? On a  _school night_ _?_ _"_ The last sentence is said with a bit of anger, but he either ignores it or is an oblivious cinnamon roll. "What, can't a knight in shining armor come to check up on his Princess?" I roll my eyes, flicking his bell in the process. "Sure, Cat, but aren't you my knight in shining leather?"

My partner chuckles in response. "Something like that." The blond crawls past me, down the ladder, and jumps onto my chaise with an enunciated "Oomph." From the corner of my eye, I can see Tikki zooming behind my computer, unnoticed by Cat Noir. I suppose some of that Lady Luck stuff actually exists.

"Is there a particular reason you wanted to see me, Cat?" He shakes his head, as though he was lost in thought, and I'd jostled him back into the moment. "Uh... actually, there is, Princess. I-I... um... you really like! I mean, like really you! No, that's not what I meant to say either. Uh... I really like you, Princess, and if I dare say it, I love you." A gasp (I can only guess comes from Tikki) is the only sound in the deafening silence. I stare at the blond, not daring to say a word. "P-Princess?"

Before I know it, - the poor boy too - I'm hugging the nervous hero, whispering the same four words over and over again. "I love you, Chaton." He chuckles as he pats my back, obviously stunned that I did something that rash, and whispers in my ear, "But I thought you swore off love." I pull back to stare into the shocking green eyes I'd fallen for twice, two different bearers having the same affect. "I had, but then I realized I'd already fallen for you, before the secret pact. Of course, I couldn't very well tell Alya that I was in love with Cat Noir, Paris' own superhero, so I made up a lie: I was swearing off love until further notice."

Cat looks at me like he knows something I'd rather he not, and he's about to share. "So... I heard from a little birdie that you used to like a friend of yours?" I chuckle as I sit down in front of my partner. "What happened, did you eat the bird?" 

It's his turn to laugh, and the sound makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Think about it. If you had the ability to make someone with the literal power of destruction laugh, wouldn't it feel really, really good? "No, of course not, Princess, but I want to know what happened to this guy. Do I need to pound him? Give him a strict talking-to?"  **Blushing: develop a pink tinge in the face from embarrassment or shame.**  

Example: When Cat Noir asks if he needs to defend me, I  **blush** , honored that he would offer that, but ashamed that he doesn't think I can't protect myself.

"Cat, do you think I can't stick up for my own being?" The hero turns me, playing with the hairs at the nape of my neck. "Of course not, Princess. I just want to get a point across, that's all." He begins to twirl the hairs, and I lean back into his chest. It's warm, comforting, and... loud? A sound not much different from a purr seems to be echoing in the room. I turn around to stare at this new lover of mine. "Are you... purring?"

He removes the hand from my neck to rub his own, flushed a deep red. "Um... maybe? No. Yes? I don't know. I honestly thought I couldn't, but... here I am, and I'm definitely doing it. I think." I laugh at his newfound awkwardness. "Well, I think it's very dashing." 

*****No encouragement needed, I take the opportunity of his lips being slightly open with a laugh to take risky action. I grab his neck and pull him to me, smashing our lips together. A groan emanates from him, and he opens his mouth, allowing our kiss to deepen. We continue to groan, until his become purrs, and I whip my head back to laugh at the sound. As soon as I catch my breath, Cat Noir grabs my chin and pulls me to him again. This time, our positions are different, and the kiss is deeper. Before, we were simply on our knees, but now he is criss-cross applesauce, and I am pulled into his lap by his eagerness. I wrap my hands in his hair, playing with the curls that my fingers find so tantalizing. One of his hands wraps around my waist, pulling me as close as possible, the other holding my chin, pointing my head up. I now sit with one leg on either side of him, and we are practically tied together, leaving no space between us. I moan again as his mouth trails down my jawline. It traces a path down my neck, and stops in the middle, not wanting to go any further. 

"Cat?" I ask breathily. "Marinette, this is okay, right? I don't... I don't want to force you into this." I giggle sweetly. "Of course it's okay,  _mon minou._ We do, however, have school in the morning, so I suggest you get going. I'll see you at school, right?" He nods, standing up. Instead of letting me go, he holds my legs around his hips, and I wrap my feet so I have a better hold. "Let's get the Princess to bed, shall we?" I blush as he carries me up to my bed.

When he begins to drop me, I refuse to let my legs go, pulling him down with me. "Stay. Just a minute more?" As he collapses on my bed, I lay my head on his chest, the low rumbling beginning again. "And you're okay with the purring?" I giggle, receiving a sigh from Cat. "Of course, Kitty. It's adorable." 

In a few minutes, I am sound asleep, the sound of the deep rumbles relaxing me.

Adrien

As soon as I hear Marinette softly snore, I crawl out of her room, and onto the balcony, where I take a deep breath. "Yes!" I whisper-shout to the empty night. Using my baton as a propellor, I jump from roof to roof, excited for tomorrow, when I plan on revealing myself so we can be openly dating, instead of just us two, hidden in her room. When I fall asleep, I find myself dreaming up different ways that I can prove to Marinette that I am her knight in shining armor. (Or whatever fabric he wears, IDK.)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cataclysm: a large-scale and violent event in the natural world. Hey! Cataclysm is a real word! I didn't know that it was, but you learn something new every day! Anyway, this is the end of chapter two, so I hope you enjoy the innocence of our cinnamon roll while you can because soon, he will attempt to be the very definition of Cataclysm. The smol bean's innocence will not last much longer, so basically, enjoy these two while you can. There will likely be a second part to this whole story about the post-reveal if this gets hits, so get ready for some dancing around feelings, and... That's all I'm gonna say, so ~Bug out!


	3. Kitty?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter that shows why Adrien is akumatized. I would read this, but you don't have to if you really, really don't want to. 
> 
> Oh, and one other thing. Whenever I do this, ~, it means that a character is looking back at their actions. You'll see what I mean in a few perspectives. ~Bug out!

Marinette

As I wake up, I realize that I've overslept -  _ **again**_. I race to get my things on, and my backpacks ready, so by the time I rush out the door with a croissant in my mouth, I might just make the bell. As luck would have it, I step in the door - with a false appearance of calmness - right as the bell rings, and the teacher motions for me to take my seat quickly. I do so without hesitation, all too willing to get out of the spotlight, but because I'm focused on my seat, I forget to look for Chloé trying to make my life miserable.

Her foot sticks out right as I walk past her, and, arms flailing, I tumble onto the ground, papers going in every which way direction. "Jeez, Marinette. Is there a day that you don't fall on your face?" The retort from Chloé is one I've heard all too many times, so it doesn't bother me, but for some reason, this gets Adrien fired up. "Chloé, why do you have to be such a jerk? What has Marinette ever done to you?"

As much as I appreciate the help, it just fires up the blonde even more. "For starters, she runs into me almost every day, either scruffing up my shoes or my hair. Second, she seems to think that boys find her falling on her rear end attractive, which goes against everything I stand for. Third-" I tune her out as I begin to pick up my papers, not even caring to hear what she uses as "excuses". 

Adrien

Chloé sure knows how to push buttons. I've seen her do it to every single person in our classroom, along with several innocent people out in the city, but I never once thought that she'd turn on me. "So why do you care, Adrien? I thought you were above her." I get so angry that I see red. "Chloé Bourgeois. How long have we been friends?" In the background of all this drama, I can vaguely make out the teacher trying to get us under control, but we ignore her, continuing our little cat fight. "Since we were adorable, Adrikins." I roll my eyes, taking a cautious step around Marinette and towards the other blonde. "And I told you to stop calling me that."

I struggle to keep a very cat-like hiss in my throat, almost letting it out twice. "We've been friends this long, but I'm afraid that it can't go any longer. You've got to stop treating people like this, Chloé. You've got to be nice to people. I already gave you several second-chances, so this is goodbye." I bend down to help Marinette stand up. When I look at her, I see the fear in her eyes. "W-what?" I ask, now harboring my own fear.

Did she figure out I was the boy she kissed so passionately last night? Is she disappointed? What will Ladybug think? I get so caught up in my questions that I almost miss what Marinette says. "Y-you hissed." I look around at my classmates, who all share the same look.

The look of disgust, of curiosity, of fear, and of pure disinterest. I can see some of them mentally shrinking back from me, while not physically doing so.

It's the same look that I get from my father whenever I encounter him.

"Yeah, well even if he did, Marinette's still freakier." I glare at the blonde for the rest of the day, even if I don't physically see her. I often get curious looks from the poor person who is at the receiving end of the hateful look not directed at them. "Sorry," I mumble an apology to whatever unlucky person I find myself staring at, and they seem to forget it ever happened. 

After school, I plan on stopping by Marinette's before patrol, but seeing Ladybug zipping around - likely looking for her partner - makes me forget about seeing my "girlfriend". I find an alleyway to transform in, hopping up onto the nearest roof, and racing to find LB to give her the news. "Ladybug! You'll never guess what happened last night!" She whips her head around, and I swear, for a flicker of a moment, I see a blush forming on her face.

Marinette

When I see Cat Noir, I have to fight the urge to blush ridiculously. I end up doing so anyway, but luckily for me, it's a mild case. One I can blame on the wind. "What happened, Kitty?" I pat the spot next to me as I sit down, gesturing for him to do the same. He does, and I have to stop myself from climbing into his lap and kissing him - again. "Ladybug, you know Marinette Dupain-Cheng, right?" I nod, assuring him that I do. As much as I want to tell my "boyfriend" that she is right next to him, we have to keep those we love safe.

"Well, she's in my class, and I finally realized that I loved her. So I went to her as Cat Noir, and we ended up having a make-out session in her room. It was the best day of my life, but then today, I got uncontrollably mad. As happy as I am, I'm still furious. Can you help me?" The way Cat described me makes me want to see how far he'd be willing to go to defend me.

I can't quite describe why, but I feel the need to know that he's going to protect me. ~In hindsight, I really shouldn't have done this.~

"Isn't Marinette the one who couldn't get a word out to Adrien Agreste? Because she loved him? What makes her so special that you just go waltzing into her room and you decide to kiss her? What does she have that no other girl in Paris has, huh? Isn't Marinette just the plain girl that nobody is supposed to notice?"

I stand up as if doing so will help prove my point.

Cat Noir follows suit, but not with the calm demeanor that I have. "Ladybug, I thought you were a hero! Why would you say that about somebody you hardly know?" I shrug. "I know enough about her.

"Besides, it's not like anybody should care anyway. They all ignore her when she's in pain, so why notice her when she's in the spotlight?" I swing off with my yo-yo, leaving my partner glaring after me. When I land on my balcony, I allow my transformation to dissolve on its own. "Marinette, why did you say that?" I laugh as I climb down into my room, landing on my bed. "Tikki, I had to make sure his feelings for me were true, and not just a one-night fling."

Adrien

When Ladybug leaves, I jump off to Marinette's house, intent on talking to her. My Princess seems to be the only person who can calm me down now, and I have to get to her before I see Ladybug again. "Cat Blanc. I am Hawk Moth." The voice calls to me as I land on my girlfriend's balcony. "I can give you the power to protect the girl you love most, in return for the Miraculous." I knock over a pot to let Mari know that I'm here and need help. 

"Cat Noir, what are you..." I shake my head. "No, Hawk Moth. I refuse your offer. I don't care how many times you try to get to me, and I don't care when or how, but I will always refuse."

From behind me, I hear a soft gasp. "Marinette?" A body crashes into me, and I see her - surprisingly muscular - arms wrapped around my waist. "Cat! What happened?" I turn around to see her guilty face looking at mine. "Princess? Why do you look like you had some part in this?"

She laughs nervously. "I was worried, Chaton. I can't stand the idea of you being an akuma because of what one person said. Who was it, anyway?" 

I sigh, sitting down on her roof and pulling her into my lap. "First, it was Chloé. I heard what she said this morning, and I couldn't stand it. I just don't understand how someone could be so cruel to someone as sweet as you."

She gasps again, but this time, it seems happier. "So... you're in Miss Bustier's class?" I nod, grudgingly. "Yes, but you can't try to figure out who I am. It could put you in serious danger." I trail off, almost forgetting that there was one other offender. "The other was LB." 

"What?" She whispers hoarsely. "It was Ladybug. The other girl that offended you." 

My response is left, hanging in the silence. "L-Ladybug?" Marinette questions. "Yeah. She said bad things about you, Princess. I couldn't stand it." 

The bluenette blushes, pushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Chaton, don't let them get to you. They're obviously just jealous." I nod as I plant a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, Marinette. But I don't think they're jealous. I think they're just trying to get to you." She shakes her head, giggling a little. "Silly Kitty. Of course, they're trying to get to me. That's all it is though. They're just using petty insults to try to get a reaction out of me, but it's not going to work. Don't let them get satisfaction out of you." I nod, standing up. "Well, Marinette, as much as I enjoy seeing you, I have to get home. We do have school in the morning."

I kiss the back of her hand before climbing out onto her roof. "Goodnight, Princess," I whisper to the wind. 

**The Next Day**

Adrien

Despite what Marinette said last night, I couldn't forgive Chloé or Ladybug, for the first time since I've met her. Their words got to me, and while Marinette might not be bothered by them, - apparently she's very much used to it - I still brood over what they said. 

How could they say that about somebody that sweet? Somebody with such a big heart? Chloé's been bullying Marinette since the beginning, so she has a half-excuse for saying that, but Ladybug hardly even knows the girl. How could she say something that brutal without actually getting to know the girl who's stolen my heart, and captured my attention? They don't know her like I do. Nobody does.

It only took one more comment to push me over the edge, I knew I shouldn't have given in, but Chloé provided what I needed. A reason to protect. A reason to get rid of them. 

We were all in class, Marinette included, but the teacher was nowhere to be seen. "Marinette, what's with the look on your face girl? You're acting like the love of your life visited you in your dreams or something." I chuckle, knowing something like that happened.

"Alya, are you out of your mind? Who would love Marinette Dupain-Cheng? She's worthless, and I don't see any reason that she deserves anybody's love." I stand up, storming over to Chloé, not caring if Marinette recognizes me, or if anybody thinks that I'm acting suspiciously. Nobody - and I mean NOBODY - talks bad about my Princess. "How," my voice shakes with the sheer anger rolling off me. "Dare you. How dare you talk about somebody that sweet like that. How dare you, Chloé Bourgeois. You know NOTHING about love."

I stomp out of the room, completely unaware of a few mildly IMPORTANT facts. 

An akuma had flitted into the room through the open window and was now following me.

The class watched the akuma with fearful eyes as it passed them all.

Plagg was desperately trying to calm me down.

The akuma slipped into the lucky charm bracelet that Marinette gave me.

And I didn't notice until it was too late.

"Cat Blanc, I am Hawk Moth. I can give you the power to protect the girl you love most, in return for the Miraculous. Do we have a deal?" I continue to walk until I'm out of sight of the classroom, ducking into an empty hallway. "I... I..." I try to resist the power, the temptation. I fail. 

"Yes, Hawk Moth."

With those words, my world goes black as a new transformation wipes over me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the innocence of our cinnamon roll is gone. Sorry.


	4. Kitty's Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't usually do parts of the story in summaries but I couldn't help myself with this one.
> 
> "B-but you're not... you! You've been altered by Hawk Moth! Kitty, don't let him control you!" While the blond's laugh is wicked, his eyes show nothing but passion and love; a contrasting duo. "Kitty's dead! Cat Noir was too weak to defend you, Princess, but Cat Blanc is much stronger! I can do what he couldn't!" I scream as he flies towards me, throwing students out of the way.
> 
> He wraps his strong arms around me, but I pound them with all my might. "Don't fight it, Princess. I'm here to protect you, not hurt you." I scream my next words as loudly as possible in his ears, making him drop me. "THIS ISN'T YOU! YOU'RE NOT HERE TO PROTECT ME AS LONG AS YOU'RE CAT BLANC!" 
> 
> Like what you saw? This is my favorite chapter so far, so enjoy! ~Bug out!

Cat Blanc

When I stand up, I look down at my new outfit. "Ick!" A suit identical to Cat Noir's, only white, stares back at me. "So not my taste." I concentrate on the akuma, bending it to my will, and my costume changes. "Much better." Now my outfit is nearly the same, but there are red scratch marks down my arms. 

"Princess! I'm coming to protect you!" I race down the hallway to find Marinette and save her from the world.

Marinette

"Okay class, let's get-" The teacher begins to speak, but is cut off by a very loud, very  **familiar**  cackle. "Princess! I'm coming to protect you!" Miss Bustier ushers us out of the classroom, urging us to go home, but we are stopped by a figure in a white catsuit - identical to Cat Noir's own - with scratch marks on his arms, and three big marks on his chest. "Princess, where are you?" I hide behind Alya, not wanting to be spotted. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Do not be scared, I'm merely here to save you from Ladybug and Chloé Bourgeois!" I look up at him with big, fearful eyes, peeking around my best friend.

"B-but you're not... you! You've been altered by Hawk Moth! Kitty, don't let him control you!" While the blond's laugh is wicked, his eyes show nothing but passion and love; a contrasting duo. "Kitty's dead! Cat Noir was too weak to defend you, Princess, but Cat Blanc is much stronger! I can do what he couldn't!" I scream as he flies towards me, throwing students out of the way.

He wraps his strong arms around me, but I pound them with all my might. "Don't fight it, Princess. I'm here to protect you, not hurt you." I scream my next words as loudly as possible in his ears, making him drop me. "THIS ISN'T YOU! YOU'RE NOT HERE TO PROTECT ME AS LONG AS YOU'RE CAT BLANC!" 

Clutching his ears, he stumbles around the room, trying to calm the ringing that is likely drowning out all other noise. "Let's get out of here!"

I speak in a normal voice, trying to urge people to get moving, but when Cat Blanc looks at us with pure hatred in his eyes, - save the moment his gaze flickered over me - I shout to get the class stirring. "Fast!" We begin to run into the hall, stumbling down the staircase, when the villain catches up to us and grabs Chloé. "She will be the first to suffer." He reaches behind him, grabbing what should've been an innocent baton, but turned out to be an unsheathed knife with a blade about 6 inches long. 

"Cat, no!"

My plea is too late, and we watch helplessly as he drives the blade into her solar plexus. The blood oozes out of the wound, and the blade falls out of her body, dropping to the ground. That sound, metal hitting the ground, is only accompanied by two sounds.

Chloé's scream of pain...

And my scream of anger as I rush forward to catch her, now limp, body before it falls down the whole flight of stairs. 

I stare into Chloé's lifeless eyes before dropping my gaze down to the puncture hole where the knife ended her life quickly, but not painlessly. There are several layers of skin now blood red from the liquid gushing out of her body, dripping onto my clothes and the floor below us. 

The hole is far deeper than it should've been for a six-inch blade, so I take a look at the offending item, and I realize that the handle was also rather bloody. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" I stare back at the man I was supposed to love, and he gives me a confused look. "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong, I was doing the right thing. I was protecting you, Princess. You told me about how many times she's bullied you." I shake my head in disbelief as he talks. "Yes, I did say that she bullied me, but it never got to me. I brushed it aside, unlike you, apparently." I spit the last word out hatefully. "Killing her wasn't the right answer, Cat. That's not how you should've dealt with your pain. If hearing that hurt you, you should've just told me so, and I could've helped you, Cat. Please, come back to me."

He only walks up the stairs and jumps onto the roof, all the while, saying, "Sorry, Princess. No can do. I have some business to attend to." 

I stare at my classmates, unsure of what to do. 

"Well?" Alya leaves the question in the open air. "What now?" I take one last look at Chloé's body before carefully setting it down. "We need to get out of here." The class nods and I lead them out of the doors, making sure they all get down the stairs. "Where are you going?" I stop, dead in my tracks, halfway back into the school. "I need to find Adrien. He never came back!" They nod as I race into the school, past Chloé's body, and up to our room.

Might as well start where this all began, and work my way from there. "Adrien?" I call out, walking down the nearest hallway. "Adrien, are you here?"

No response. 

"Adrien, if you're here, I need you to come out. There's an akuma, and it's really bad. You're not safe here anymore."

Still no response. "Ladybug! Where are you?" Cat's voice bellows from the rooftop, shaking me to the core. "Well, Tikki. I guess LB's needed right now more than Marinette is. Tikki, spots on!" As the transformation wipes over me, I feel a strange sense of dread. "Cat!"

I call out to my partner - and boyfriend - as I jump up next to him. "Cat, please no," I whisper, trying to make him buy that I don't already know. "Too late, Ladybug. You can't save me, and nobody's here to save you. I'm not after your Miraculous." He walks towards me as I protectively place a hand over each earring. "Then what  **are** you after?" He smirks, pulling out his knife. "Only revenge, milady," I call my lucky charm, but all it gives me is a mirror. "What am I supposed to do with-" My words are cut short as the cold blade runs into my body, deeply cutting my solar plexus. "This is for Marinette," He says hoarsely. "B-but she's already here," I say, letting my transformation go.

"W-what? Marinette?" I glance up from my wound to stare into his eyes, flashing the mirror at him. The sunlight catches his eyes, blinding him, and I take the opportunity to pull his face towards mine, kissing him full on the lips. 

We sit like that for a few seconds, just relishing the kiss, before the wound acts up again. "Agh!" I scream in pain, but I watch as it slowly begins to heal. "W-what's happening?" I hear my partner ask. "I-I think true love's kiss did what the lucky charm couldn't. It's healing me just enough so I can transform and fix everything." He glances at me, before looking down at his hands in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

I giggle, kissing his forehead as I slowly stand up. "You can't apologize to me now, Kitty. You'll forget when you're de-evilized." When I transform for the second time in a few minutes, I throw the lucky charm into the air, shouting, "Miraculous Ladybug!" The stab wound suddenly heals, and I can breathe normally again. "Cat?" I look at him, but he doesn't return my gaze.

"Go, before I de-evilize and you see my identity." 

I suppose it would make sense that he was akumatized when we were in school, but who... oh. Oh.  **OOH.** "A-Adrien?" I sputter out the name, causing him to look at me. "Well, you figured me out, Princess. I suppose I won't remember you and LB being one in the same?"

I chuckle, shaking my head. "Sorry, Chaton, but that's not a choice I have. You automatically forget whatever happened when you were akumatized." With one final glance, I dive into the school, searching for an empty hallway.

Adrien

The last thing I remember was being in an empty corridor, the world going completely black. Now, I wake up - is that even the right word? - to find myself sitting on the roof of the school building. "How am I getting down?" I look around the area, praising any good luck giver - or whatever - for my ironic luck when I spot a door that likely leads down to the second floor. Hopefully, close to the classroom.

I rush over to the door, not caring to pay attention to the chaos below me.

When I reach the door, I find it locked. "Well, now what?" My Kwami speaks for the first time since Ladybug de-evilized me. At least, that's what I think happened.

"Shut up, Plagg."

The creature chuckles before he realizes what I'm about to do. "No, wait, kid, I'm sure there's another way down..." His words are cut off as I call upon him to transform me. Now in my suit, I extend my pole, dropping it to the ground. Gasps sound from below as students gather around it to look up at me. Sheepishly, I wave at them, before following their changed direction of interest. Chloé Bourgeois and Marinette... getting along? What did I miss?

Marinette seems to be helping Chloé up from an undignified position on the floor, calming her down. "Chloé, he was akumatized. What can you expect from someone  **that** powerful, going after you?" She scoffs, looking up at me with sheer hate rolling off her in waves.

"I could expect him not to stab me, for starters." I salute with two-fingers as I slide down my "pole". 

"I apologize for whatever I did while I was... not myself. If it isn't too much, though, I would very much like to know what happened while I was... out."

All the other students slide away from me, not wanting to get too close. Which I suppose, I understand, but it's not like I'm still Cat Blanc. Marinette takes a step closer, holding a hand out to me. I take it, and she pulls me into a tight hug, letting out a sob, quickly followed by hot tears pouring down her face. "P-Princess?" I ask hesitantly.

"C-Cat, y-you were... you were t-terrifying." Those three words are all I need to hear, and I begin to rub her back assuringly. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." 

"Terrifying? He was a freaking monster. For Peet's sake, Marinette. Here I thought we might actually begin to agree on something, begin to get along, but then you had to go and lay sugar on it." Chloé speaks up in the dead silence, gaining her a few glares from the classmates surrounding us. "What?"

Chloé

If I'm being honest, I really wanted to be friends with Marinette. 

She's just so sweet and caring. I'm... I'm not. I resorted to being a bully and a jerk, just because I couldn't be like Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Today, when she helped me stand after I presumably died, I took it as an opportunity to get on her good side. Of course, the bully has been engrained in my very being, so I resorted to insulting.

I swear, I try to be nice, I really do, but it's just easier to let my father handle things. 

Adrien

"I'm still very much curious as to what happened while I was a victim of Hawk Moth." Asking seemed to be the right response, but it just sent Marinette deeper into her spasms. Shaking, tears pour out of her eyes faster than before, and her sobs become louder, drawing the attention of passing students. "That wasn't the right thing to say. She was really upset when she saw you like that, Cat Noir." Alya walks up and puts a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."

The class nods, understanding that I don't remember, and want to know all the details. Most akumatized victims want nothing to remind them of their time as a villain, but I have to know if I hurt anyone. "N-no. It's not your fault. I shouldn't be so weak." 

I stroke her hair, calming her down so that she can take normal breaths. "Marinette, you're anything  **but** weak. You are one of the strongest people I've ever met, and I don't want anything to ever shatter that. If it'll upset you too much to talk about it, then I won't ask." 

Shaking her head, she gives me a sad - yet surprisingly calm - look. "No. I-if you want to know what happened, then y-you deserve to know."

The whole class laughs, knowing Marinette would do something like that. Put others' needs before her own. Face her fears if it meant helping others. Then we all share a big smile, gazing at the class representative.

"First of all, you were apparently mad enough to get spotted by Hawk Moth - something that should  **not** be possible since you're a Miraculous holder, and in theory, they should be protected from evil. This, however, was a very special case. Y-you became Cat Blanc, and tried to protect me from Chloé-" At the mention of her name, the blonde shrinks back under the dozen or so students glaring at her. "So when we raced down into the courtyard, you grabbed her and what should've been your baton became a knife and you... you..." She trailed off, tears coming into her eyes, burying her face in my neck once again.

"You stabbed me." Chloé finished. Those present were rather surprised to find, not hatred in her voice, but sheepishness. "It was my fault. I had provoked you, and I got what I deserved after years of tormenting people." 

Marinette - being the kind soul she is - gives the blonde a warm smile through her tears. "We all make mistakes, Chloé." The mayor's daughter flushes slightly, apparently not convinced. "But look at you! You've never once done anything wrong in your life, and here I am a failure. I failed to do even a simple gesture like help an old man across the road. Instead, I laughed and walked past him." People shoot her sympathetic glances, none lasting too long, but enough to make Chloé warm up a bit. "But let's fill Cat here in on what he missed."

Another surprise from the haughty girl. Miss Bustier's class wraps the blonde in a big group hug, and for once, she doesn't try to get out of it. She embraces them, a big, goofy grin on her face the whole time.

When they break apart, Marinette returns to my side, looking up at me with big bluebell eyes. "You sure you want to hear the rest?" I nod, almost hesitantly. "I'm sure, Princess. I want to know who I need to apologize to, and what I need to make up for." The ever-present warmth in her eyes returns, replacing the sadness and despair that had taken them over for the past few minutes. "Well, Chloé, for starters." 

I lift my eyes from the bluenette to the blonde, and she averts her eyes, but not before I could see the guilt in her eyes. 

"Chloé, I'm so sorry. For whatever Cat Blanc did." She nods a little, finally raising her eye level to meet mine. "I-it's okay. It was mostly my fault anyway." D-did she just... take the blame? I suppose maybe she  **is** trying to better her person.

Smiling, I look out at the class around me. "So, after he stabbed her, what happened?" My friends' gazes drop to the ground, and my heart drops into my boots. Marinette simply keeps her eyes trained on Chloé, whose eyes are staring me down, with an unfamiliar kindness to them. "Well, Marinette caught me after you let me go, and then you bounded up to the roof. After that, I don't know what happened." She walked towards the bluenette and gave her a small hug. "Hey, you okay? Do you want to tell him the rest?" 

The kind smile on Chloé's face amazes all of us. "I-I think I can do it."

Marinette

"Cat, after you stabbed Chloé, you bounded up to the roof and called out for Ladybug. She never came, b-but I went up through the closest access door I could find. When I got to you, you mistook me for Ladybug, and y-you... you..." I trail off for a minute, almost in tears again. My gaze drops down to the floor, but Cat uses one hand to caress my chin, bringing my eyes to his. "Princess, are you  **sure** you want to keep the story going?"

I nod, sporting a small smile. "Yeah, i-it's just... It was hard, for me to see you like that, Chaton. Y-you have no idea how hard it was." He brings me to his chest again, and I can feel the warmth radiating off him, and I hear the softest rumbling noise. A purr.

Cat Noir is purring.

"A-anyway... You mistook me for Ladybug, and apparently, you were trying to get revenge on her, so you s-s-stabbed me." The hand running through my hair stops suddenly and is replaced by a chin on the top of my head.

"Princess, I-I'm so sorry." I laugh a little before feeling the warm drops falling into my hair. He's crying because Cat Blanc stabbed me. "It's okay, Kitty. Besides, I only had to kiss you to reverse all the damage you'd done."

When I glance up at him for the briefest of moments, I see a blush forming on his face. It's not like we haven't kissed before, so why is this getting a reaction out of him?

"Then, before I saw your civilian form, I raced back down here to help Chloé. We still haven't found Adrien, though." When I say this, Cat Noir stiffens just the slightest so that, to anyone who didn't know that he actually  **is** the famous blond model, it wouldn't be a point of concern. "I'm sure we'll find him soon, but for now, let's just be glad that Cat Blanc is gone and it isn't Ladybug."

Now that I know Miraculous holders  **can** be akumatized, - but it takes a lot to get them riled up enough to be on the spectrum - I have to be more careful about Adrien and myself.

** At Patrol That Night **

Marinette

"Cat, I'm so, so sorry for what I said about Marinette. That wasn't okay, and I'm sorry if I was the cause of your akumatization." He smiles weakly at me as we land on the Eiffel Tower.

"It's fine, LB. I got a bit overprotective, but it wasn't entirely your fault either." I shake my head. "It was your instinct to protect the girl you love. I shouldn't have gone overboard like that, or even done it in the first place. I know Chloé can be a bit... extra, at times, but I shouldn't be. Like you said, I'm a hero. Heroes don't say things like that about innocent people.

"And what if something like that happens again? The akumas seem to be getting a bit stronger lately. I think we need partners." This time, Cat gives me a confident smile. "I think we know just the person to talk to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still in the process of editing so if you see anything, lemme know in the comments. Please keep in mind that I’m only in 8th grade so my English obviously isn’t gonna be the best. Thanks! ~Bug out!


	5. Then There Was 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloé redemption arc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure if I should use the female or male pronouns because English is voiced by a female but French is voiced by a male so that's what I went with. Also, I did a reveal with Chloé, Alya, and Marinette, because I had to because I can so don't hate. I just wanted to make life interesting for these clueless little children.

Alya

After school, I'd begun to make home to get some of the hours worth of homework done before Cat Noir and Ladybug were due for patrol. Of course, I was going to be there, recording them, but on my way there, I saw an old man getting mugged. "Hey! Who do you think you are?" I race up to the offending man and knee him in the jewels. "Gah!"

While he's doubled over, I grab the older man and make a run for the nearest building - which happens to be my home. "Sir, are you okay?" He nods, catching his breath as I close the door to the outside world - literally. My phone vibrates in my back pocket, and I whip it out to find my Blog blowing up with posts. 'Alya, where's the patrol live stream?' This message is portrayed in different ways, but it's all the same question. People want to know why I'm not filming Paris' famous superheroes out on their weekly patrol around the city. “I’m sorry sir. I have to go, but you can stay here until my mother comes home. Will you be okay?” He nods with a pleased smile on his face, and I race out the door to pursue the heroes of Paris.

By the time I reach their meeting place, they’ve either just returned or haven’t left yet. Likely the former since Ladybug always makes sure that Cat is on time. There was one time - by chance - that I caught Cat Noir arriving late, and Ladybug threw him across the city, much to the amusement of the followers on my Blog. “Hey! Ladybug! Cat Noir! Can I ask a few questions for the LadyBlog?” The exchange a glance before landing in front of me - Ladybug using her yo-yo and Cat Noir using his baton.

Marinette

“Alya, right?” Cat asks. Unbeknownst to him, I know how he knows Alya, and that he basically revealed himself to me when he was Cat Blanc. My best friend squeals with delight. “You know my name?!” I chuckle as Adrien - Cat Noir - rubs the back of his neck. “Well, of course, I know you. I watch your Blog all the time! You’ve got some serious skills.”

I can hear little comments pinging on Alya’s phone as she records. “Some of my fellow LadyBloggers have some questions for you if that’s alright.” I nod, and she looks at her screen. “Okay, so the first question is, how old are you? Now, this is a question that’s been on everyone’s mind ever since Pharoah, so please consider answering it.” I laugh at my friend as Cat hides his laughter behind a smug grin shot in my direction. “That’s all Ladybug.” Shooting him an ”oh haha” look, I turn back to Alya. “I’m 14, and Cat Noir here…” I give him a - fake - quizzical look. “How old are you, Kitty?” He chuckles, resting an arm across my shoulders. “I’m 14 as well, milady.”

If I weren’t dating Cat as Marinette, I wouldn’t mind him calling me that as much, but I am. So why is he saying it? “Okay, next question.” The viewers watching live would probably wonder why the camera was shaking, but Cat and I could look back later and laugh. Alya is shaking with delight, and we can tell she wants to ask about our identities. “Do you have a significant other?” I laugh, knowing what Cat would say.

“Nope.”

One word. One word usually makes a day. One word is not meant to bring a world to a halting crash. One word should not be so powerful. One word should not make me want to cry, curl up in my bed, and never come out again. But it did.

“Ladybug?” I glance at Cat, but I realize he wasn’t the one who spoke. “Ladybug, are you alright?” I feel my eyes begin to build tears, but I hold them back. “I-I’m fine Alya. I-I’m sorry. I have to go.” I swing off and go to the first place I think of.

When I open the familiar door, the elderly man sits in front of me, a cup of tea in hand. “Hello, Ladybug.” I wipe away the tears that had been flowing down my face and join him on the mat. “Hello, Master Fu. I was wondering if I could ask something.” He motions with the kindest of smiles on his face. “Of course.” I gesture to the box containing the Miraculous. “You gave the Fox Miraculous to Alya, right?” He gives a slight nod, and I continue. “I have a contender for the Bee if you’re willing to give her a chance.” Again, he nods, sipping his tea. “She’s been improving her attitude lately, and doesn’t cause nearly as many akumas as she used to.” A knowing smile lights up the room. “Ah. Miss Bourgeois.”

My own face lights up a little as I nod. “Yes. She’s truly been different lately, and I think training with Cat Noir and I would help push her that final step.” Reaching for the open container, Master Fu placed the hairpin in a wooden box identical to the one my own Miraculous came in. “Get this to Miss Bourgeois immediately. Be gentle about it, but make sure she knows that the cruelest little act will result in her Miraculous being taken away.” I nod and quickly find myself on rooftops again, racing through Paris as I make my way to the hotel in which the Bourgeois family lives.

Chloé

I never expected for Ladybug to come into my room, and I definitely never expected for her to be carrying a Miraculous.

"Chloé Bourgeois. This is the Bee Miraculous, and with it, Cat Noir and I require your help in defeating Hawk Moth before he gets another Miraculous holder. As long as you promise to convert to being as nice as possible, you can keep this. Permanently. So, what do you say? Are you in?" I have to restrain myself from jumping up and down, but she giggles and gives me the go-ahead. "Oh. Em. Gee. Ladybug, you have no idea how much this means to me!" 

The last thing I expected was for Marinette to be standing in front of me when Ladybug de-transforms. "I think I do." I give her a small hug, which she accepts eagerly. "Thank you, Marinette, for this chance. I promise you won't regret it." She smiles as I pull back. "I know I won't." I jump a little - immature, I know - and hug her again, tears in my eyes. "Thank you, so much, Marinette. I know I haven't been the most pleasant person to you, but I swear on my Miraculous that I will change for the better." She smiles again as she transforms. "Well then, I'll be more than happy to see you in school tomorrow, and... what's your new name?" 

I think for a minute. A good name... Bee Miraculous... My haughty manner... "Queen Bee." Ladybug chuckles as she climbs up onto my balcony. "Well then, Cat and I will be very happy to see Queen Bee at patrol tomorrow night." With a salute, my classmate jumps away with her yo-yo flying high into the sky.

Alya

When Ladybug disappears, I turn the camera off and stand next to Cat. "Do you think she's alright?" The hero just shrugs. "With Ladybug, you can never be 100% sure." 

He hesitates for a moment, clearly wanting to say something else, but obviously not sure if he should. "There's... something I've gotta go do. I'll see you later?" With a nod, I turn to walk away, but a hand finds its way onto my shoulder before I go very far. "Rena, I'm glad you'll be joining us again." I don't even get a chance to question the blond before he jumps away, likely to his home.

Walking away with a shrug, I make my way to the apartment building where my family lives. Reaching the door, I hesitantly open it, feeling something amiss about the atmosphere. When I collapse on my bed, I find a black box with strange red markings sitting on my desk. A  **familiar**  box.

"What..." I open it, and an orange glow circles around me before stopping in front of my face. "Trixx?" The fox Kwami now sits in front of me, and he seems rather pleased to see me again. "Hey, Alya! Are you ready to team up again?" I have to fight the urge to scream from excitement, and when I calm down, Trixx and I kinda... catch up.

Adrien

As I follow the instructions to his place that he had given me a few weeks ago, I consider who Master Fu might approve of holding the Turtle Miraculous. While he does wear it, Master Fu had told me that he would train the next guardian.

As much as I've tried to figure it out, I've mostly left it to Ladybug to find new teammates. 

Landing in front of the building where Master Fu works, - and/or lives I've never asked - I walk inside and quickly make my way to his place. I knock on the door once, twice, and the door opens to reveal Ladybug looking just about as shocked as I am. "C-Cat Noir? What're you doing here?" Rubbing the back of my neck nervously, I glance around her to see Master Fu not looking surprised at all. "I-I was coming here to make a suggestion. For the Turtle Miraculous holder, that is." 

With a glance back at the old man, Ladybug nods and steps aside, allowing me to enter. "Thank you." The guardian nods and gestures for me to sit, followed by Ladybug. "Thank you, but I should get going. I have to check up on Rena, after all." With a smile, she dashes out the door before I can ask her why she left so hastily earlier. 

"Now, Adrien, tell me. Who have you decided would be a good holder for the Turtle?" I begin to explain all the things Nino has done, and all the things he could do if he was given the bracelet, and Master Fu intently listens as I make a case for my best friend. "I see. Send him over, tomorrow after school, and I will begin to train him. If he passes the tests, then within the next two months, you will have the fifth member of your team and a new guardian. Is that all, Cat Noir?" I nod my head and stand up to go, but not before the elder calls out to me again. "Adrien, please, be careful with how much you speak to Marinette and Ladybug about the other. I sense there's something between them that neither of them knows how to deal with." Confused, I nod again, not wanting to poke into business that isn't mine. "I'll try, Master Fu. Goodnight."

With those parting words, I race outside and make my way to Nino's desperate to get there before he goes to sleep.

Alya

"L-Ladybug?" The last thing I expected was for the heroine to show up in my room. And the last thing I expected was for her to address me as Rena Rouge. "Rena, I want to talk to you about your Miraculous. Do you mind if I stay for a minute?" I nod and no sooner does she sit down than her earrings beep and a fourth spot goes missing from the Miraculous. "Ladybug, what happened?" She sighs as she gets ready to tell a story.

"I was on my way here when I heard sirens go off. I went to find out what was happening, and a figure was running from the bank with a bag full of what I'm guessing was money slung over his back. I landed and tried to get him to stop, but it turns out he's pretty good at hand-to-hand combat, so I called on my lucky charm and came up with a pair of handcuffs."

She pauses to catch her breath, and before she continues I add, "So you're going to de-transform, in my room, in front of me, and you're not freaking out?" She shakes her head. "No. In fact, I was trying to figure out a way to tell you when I was on my way, but you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone or post it on the Blog. Okay?" I nod, and gesture for her to continue her story. "Anyway, I handcuffed the guy right as the police arrived, so I gave him to Sabrina's dad and took off again." I have to shake my head to process that. "So... you handcuffed the guy when you could've just held him until the police came?" Something clicks, and before she can answer, I ask another question. "And how did you know Sabrina's dad is a police officer?" 

Without another word, a bright flash of pink light blinds me, so I look away. When it dies down, I return my attention to the girl, only to find someone else in her place. "M-Marinette?" 

She flushes and I crush her in a bear hug. "Marinette, I'm so, so, so glad that it's you." She giggles as I let her go, and the Kwami fly around each other in greeting. "So, you wanted to talk to me about my Miraculous?" Ladybug - no, my best friend - nods, sitting down on my bed and motioning for me to do the same. "I don't know if Trixx told you, but the guardian is allowing you to keep the necklace permanently. You and one other are joining the team, but she's never held a Miraculous before, so go kinda easy on her for a bit." 

I nod, barely taking in the fact that I wasn't alone in the whole new-to-the-team group. "Okay, Mari, but... there's something I don't quite understand." She gestures for me to ask, but I hesitate to find the right words. 

"Um... when, I mean,  **why** did you decide to add more holders? I mean no disrespect or anything, but I thought you and Cat were doing okay." She stares down at her hands folded neatly in her lap, and I feel like I crossed the line, so I backtrack. "I-I mean... that's not what I meant to say... I'm sorry. Uh..." Laughter fills the room, and I watch as Marinette's head tilts back. "Well, we were doing fine, but when Cat Blanc came 'round, we decided that we might need backup. Just in case something like that were to happen again, or the akumas got stronger."

Nodding, another question comes to mind. "And - if you don't mind me asking - the reason you ran off during the interview earlier-" She cuts me off with an apology, but before she can finish, I resume. "It's okay, girl. I was curious, but I get it now. You and Cat are dating, right? I mean, Marinette you, not Ladybug." She nods curtly, and I ease up on my tone a bit. "Anyway, the reason you ran off earlier, it was because Cat Noir called Ladybug  **his lady** , even though he's with you, right?" Another nod, less rude than the previous, but not any less hurt. "Well, I can talk to him about it. If you want, that is. I can get the reporter's inside scoop on him and report back."

To contrast, she shakes her head with a grim expression. "No, Alya. I want to find out for myself, in due time. First, let's get through a few patrols. Just the four of us, and then when the time is right - assuming Cat keeps up with the flirting directed at Ladybug - you or I can interrogate him. But let's just see what happens. It might've been a slip-up since that's what he always called me. Before him and me, I mean." I chuckle a little as the red-and-black-spotted Kwami floats up to my best friend. 

"Marinette, we have to go! You have school tomorrow!" With a gasp, she stands back up, nearly tumbling down as she does so. "You're right! Tikki, spots on!" When Ladybug takes the place of Marinette, she waves and hops out my window. "I'll see you in class!" 

And just like that, Ladybug is gone, and everything is back to normal.

Except the Fox Kwami nestling in my hair. Still getting used to that, but I can't wait to become Rena Rouge again. "See you tomorrow, Mari," I whisper as sleep claims me.


	6. Double Trouble

**The Next Day**

Marinette

The next morning, I wake up with a smile on my face. A bigger one than usual, anyway. "Tikki, can you believe it? Adrien is Cat Noir!" As I race down the stairs, reality crashes down. "But... he also flirted with Ladybug. And then he said that he wasn't dating anybody. That does mean he's just protecting me from all the other reporters... Right?" I look at my Kwami, but she has no answer.

I glance around for Tikki, quickly realizing that she's nowhere to be seen. "Tikki?" I call out, but no answer makes it's way back. "Tikki?!" Urgently, I get dressed and climb out onto my balcony where I frantically search for my friend. "Marinette, what's going on?" I whip around to see Cat Noir sitting on my railing. Holding a red-and-black spotted creature. "Cat, what do you have in your hand?" I desperately beg that it's just a Ladybug plushy or something, but when he releases it from his grasp, it flies over to me and hides in my hair, shaking at a rapid speed. 

"When were you going to tell me, Marinette?" When he looks at me, I see hurt, anger, and something I can't quite recognize. "I-I... When were you going to tell  **me** , Adrien?" He looks startled, nearly falling off the little railing on which he sits. "W-what? H-how... when..." 

Crossing my arms, I pass him and head over to my trapdoor. "When Cat Blanc came round. You basically suggested that I would recognize who you were under the mask before you de-evilized, and it only made sense that you were in Miss Bustier's class. From there, I figured that only one guy had blond hair like yours." I pause, glaring at him before continuing. "And why were you here this morning, snooping around my room, capturing my Kwami, then running away only to come back when I came out here?" 

He looks down, ashamed, and I almost let myself take pride in that.  **Almost**. "W-well... You see... I was coming to talk about what happened yesterday, and I landed right above your skylight. I looked down, saw you were sleeping and was about to leave when I saw Tikki. 

"I lifted the door, and she flew out, greeting me." At this, I stare at my Kwami in disbelief. She had been trying to sneak into my room, but I stopped her. "Tikki... Did you really? After you told me to keep our identities a secret?" Turning to me, she rubs the back of her adorable little head, ashamed.

"Marinette, I can explain..."

Whipping to Cat, I turn my fury on him. "And you! Why were you flirting with Ladybug when you were so wrapped up in Marinette? Did you really love me, or was I just some tool to make the other half of me jealous?" I felt like cursing the world, but instead, I cursed Cat. "You're a freaking cheat! That's what you are!" A few profanities spilled over, and by the time we were done, I had one question.

"If you were flirting with Ladybug, then what is Marinette to you?" Tikki turns to the feline hero, as do I, anticipating and dreading his answer. 

"W-well, Princess... I-I..." I laugh, my voice hoarse from all the screaming. "Oh, so **now** I'm Princess! **Now** I mean something! Is that what this **is** to you? A game?" 

Shaking his head, Cat Noir continues. "My heart was still stuck on Ladybug, and she basically hated me for that moment we had a few weeks ago..." His voice trails off, and we both slip into a memory.

**Three Weeks Prior**

Adrien

A special night. A year since Ladybug and I teamed up, and I couldn't be happier. And I expressed that.

"Ladybug, there's no other person I'd wish to be teamed up with." While she seemed happy at the time, her emotion only dropped. At an alarming rate.

"Milady? What's wrong?" 

She hadn't seemed depressed up to a few minutes ago, and I was worried beyond... well, anything. "I-It's nothing, Cat. I'm fine." If there's one thing I've learned from 

A. being in a class full of akumatized people,

B. having girls as best friends, and,

C. working in the world of the famous,

It was that whenever people say they're fine, they're really not. "Ladybug, hey. You know you can tell me anything, right?" I hadn't known it at the time, but I was about to make the worst mistake of my life.

"I know, Kitty, it's just... I snapped at my best friend today, and I don't know if she'll ever forgive me." Laughing sadly, I caressed her chin in my hand. "Ladybug, if there's anything I've learned from hanging around you, it's that you are the most amazing girl I've ever met. Your friend will come around, I promise." Something struck home, however. Marinette and Alya had a very similar situation this morning, and I hadn't seen the bluenette the rest of the day.

"I just don't know anymore, Cat. It's getting harder and harder to hide this secret from my parents, my friends, and you." Laughing a little lightly, I pushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I know exactly how you feel, Bugaboo." And then I screwed it up. 

The mood.

Our friendship.

Everything.

I brought our lips together, closing my eyes and relishing every second that I got. She didn't pull away, but I could tell she didn't kiss back either. Eventually, she returned the gesture, and it grew deeper. Until it ended by a sound.

Her earrings weren't going off...

My ring wasn't either, so what...

"Oh, sorry Cat. I promised a friend to help him with our book report tonight. I completely forgot. See you for patrol tomorrow?" I nodded, watching her leap away. 

That reminded me that I had to work on the project with Nino. I originally wanted to pair with Marinette, wanting to get to know her better as Adrien, but before I got the chance, she turned to Nathaniel.

Reluctantly, I had gone home, but I was elated for the next day. She never came. Ladybug wasn't at patrol the day after, nor the day after that. For the rest of the week, she was missing, and I left a voicemail every day until she came back.

And then she wouldn't look me in the eye. That's when I knew that either the kiss had been way too overboard, or something else had happened.

"Lady...bug? Is everything okay?" She didn't respond and didn't even talk to me unless absolutely necessary for the week after. 

Torture: the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or to force them to do or say something, or for the pleasure of the person inflicting the pain.

I never knew what the word meant until I experienced it myself. Before, I'd thought that what my father put me through was the pure definition, but now I truly know what it is. The only time she broke her silent state was during an akuma attack, or to postpone patrols because of projects.

It hurt, but I understood. I had to finish things as well, but I could put aside a few minutes each day for her. I would put aside a week if I had to, but she never seemed to have the time.

** In The Present **

Adrien

Picking up my sentence again, I shake both myself and Marinette out of that painful memory. "So I needed a way to get over it. I didn't think it would be the same person, but... Marinette?" I can understand why she'd be a little upset, my actions are a little cruel, but she looks ready to murder me.

"Milady, I can explain..." She cuts me off, rushing towards me faster than I can process. " **Don't.** " The way she says the single word sends shivers down my back. 

It sounds threatening.

Murderous. 

"You...  **Dare**. Don't you dare call me  **your lady!**  You lied, you cheated, and now, you're single. See you in school, Adrien." And she walks back into her room, Tikki unsure of what to do. "Cat Noir, I'm sorry, she-" The cute little voice is cut off by a shout. "Tikki!" The red creature gives me an apologetic look before sinking into the floor.

I'm not sure whether to be angry or sad as I leap away to my house, but I know that I'm in for a rough night, and an even rougher day tomorrow. As I land in my room, Plagg apparently had enough of being in the Miraculous, as my transformation is let go without my consent. "Adrien, I need... Woah. Kid, you okay?" 

I collapse onto my bed instead of answering the god-like cat. "Adrien, you need to calm down! I can't let you get akumatized again!" I don't answer, and I don't see what Plagg does until it's too late. "Hello again, Cat Blanc..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I didn't quite portray Marinette as she is in the show, but I couldn't help myself. I know she probably would just take a deep breath and calm down, but this chapter isn't called Double Trouble for nothing. Hint hint.


	7. No More Secrets

Marinette

I don't even get a chance to start on my homework - let alone go to sleep - before a crash sounds from my balcony above. "It must be Cat again. Tikki, I feel so bad, but he just... fired up this little red bug." My Kwami hovers in front of my face, a calm look on hers. "Marinette, look at it from his point of view. He wanted Ladybug to forgive him, and he made a mistake. He thought maybe she'd get over it quicker if he moved on. He didn't intend to cheat, he truly **did** have feelings for you. He was just... misguided."

Releasing the strong hold on my tablet, - which I hadn't even realized had happened - I take a deep breath, calming myself down.

"I suppose you're right, Tikki. I just hope I can get to him before Hawk Moth does. Tikki spots on!"

"Marinette, wait!" Before my Kwami can speak her mind, my transformation washes over me, and I'm comforted by the familiar spandex. "Okay, let's go find Cat and apologize."

Cat Blanc

How... how am I back? This doesn't make sense, and what confuses me even further... I don't want revenge on anybody. Despite Marinette - _Ladybug_ \- yelling at Cat Noir, I don't want to kill her. I don't want to do **anything** to her. In fact, all I want to do is... I suppose this is kind of revenge, but I want to cause Paris the heartache I've felt for weeks.

First, it was the heartache I felt because Ladybug stopped talking to me... uh, Cat. Adrien? No, Cat Noir. Either way, it was the worst pain I'd ever felt, until today, when Marinette blew up on Cat again.

Leaping out of my window, I hide in an alleyway just in time to see Ladybug zip into Adrien's room. "Adrien? Are you here?" Her voice is crystal clear, all the way down on street level, and when I see her yo-yo sling out of the window, I race for cover.

As soon as the figure is out of sight, I change my image, bending the akuma to my will.

Pink locks hang in front of my face, and I look down to see my white suite golden with the red marks ever present on my chest but gone from my arms. Over my back, a quiver and bow are slung, and I instantly know what they're for.

Gold wings sprout from my shoulders, and I shoot into the air, whipping out my bow, notching an arrow. While there aren't many people on the street, there does seem to be an excessive amount out on balconies on this warm evening.

Not giving the unlucky civilians on their balconies a chance to look at me, I shoot them all with my arrows, watching with a smirk as they deal with instant heartache in different ways.

There's a difference between heartache and heartbreak, but I've never been sure where the line lies until now.

Heartache: emotional anguish or grief, typically caused by the loss or absence of someone loved.

Heartbreak: overwhelming distress.

Now, I can easily tell the difference, and it shows in the various ways people are reacting to my arrows.

**The Next Day**

Marinette

In the morning, I wake up to hear wailing from downstairs. "Maman, what..." I am interrupted by a yawn as I head down to my parents. "What's wrong?"

The strangest sight greets me when I push open the door to the bakery. My father is yelling at mother, and in turn, she's crying. Customers are also wailing, but I can't figure out why. "What in the world is going on here?"

Nobody answers, so I walk back up to my room to see my phone vibrating uncontrollably. Alya's image lights up the screen, and I answer it with a tired, "Hello?"

Cries greet my ears as the phone call connects. "Marinette, Nino broke up with me!" I can't believe what I'm hearing.

The cutest couple ever, breaking up?

The second I finish calming down a hysterical Alya, my phone vibrates, alerting me to another caller. "Alya, are you sure you'll be okay?" I ask, after explaining the situation. "Yeah, girl. I'll be okay. I'll see you at school in a few minutes?" Hanging up, I look at the clock to realize I was going to be late for school - not a big surprise. I pick up Nino's call, and before I can say, "Hello," Nino breaks down in tears of his own. "Marinette! Alya broke up with me! What am I supposed to do now?"

Well, that's strange. Alya said the same thing about him, so... Akuma. "Nino, I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding." I calm the DJ down as I explain what I think happened, and he seems to accept it. "O-okay. I'll see you at school then?"

"Yep!" I hang up and dash out the door, grimacing as I hear my parents either screaming or crying.

**Two Weeks Later**

Marinette

Weeks. It's been weeks since the new akuma popped up. Weeks since Adrien disappeared. Weeks since Paris became a city of chaos, heartbreak, and heartache. I had never known what the difference was until this unknown akuma showed up.

Days. Days since my parents had divorced because of this villain. Days since Alya and Nino broke up because of this blackened heart. Days since I went anywhere.

Hours. Hours since I had cut myself. Hours since I had been taken to the hospital. Hours since I went under anesthesia.

Minutes. Minutes since the dream about Cat - Adrien - had ended. Minutes since I woke up. Minutes since I first saw my parents in the same room since the akuma-based divorce. 

Seconds. Seconds since the villain had shown up in the hospital room. Seconds since everyone else fled, - out of fear - leaving the akumatized citizen and myself alone. Seconds since I saw my life flash before my eyes.

"Marinette, what happened?" I don't dare explain. Not to this... stranger. Not to this villain. So, I do the next best thing. "Who... who are you?" I ask hesitantly. The golden cupid-angel themed akuma sits down on the edge of my bed, beginning a chain reaction.

First, I get super panicked because - duh - there's a villain sitting on my bed. In the hospital. 

Second, my heart rate gets quicker due to my panic from said person on the bed.

Third, the heart rate monitor goes crazy because of my heart rate getting quicker due to - oh, do I have to go all the way back?

Fourth, the doctor races in because he hears the monitor screaming at the top of its imaginary lungs.

Fifth, the villain stands up and calmly walks over to the corner of the room farthest from all humanity.

Sixth, my parents walk in and hold my hands, trying - in vain - to calm me down.

Seventh, the doctor screams something and a bunch of nurses file in and hold me down.

Eighth, the akumatized civilian and my parents are ushered out of the room.

Ninth, the doctor puts more anesthesia in a bag that is drained into my body through a needle.

Tenth, the world. Goes. Black.

Cat Blanc

When I sit on the bed, I don't try to do her any harm, I swear. I was going to answer her question, but - of course - instead, I am quickly ushered out of the room. "Hey!" Her parents - my favorite victims - try to resist the nurses pushing them, but they don't succeed.

"W-who are you?"

Tom looks down at me with fearful eyes, and I chuckle as I stare back. "Don't you recognize me, Tom? Paris' favorite Cat hero?"

It takes a split second for the adults to figure out who I am, and I must say, their reactions are unexpected. "Adrien?" I step back, surprised. "W-what?" Sabine hugs me tightly as Tom explains. "You think we didn't recognize Marinette's best friend as her partner?" That's one way to put it, but... "Her partner? Y-you know?" 

Tom nods gravely as he looks back at his daughter's closed door. "We've known for a while, but... we've tried to keep it on the down-low. We give her subtle signs, like the cookies for her creature, but she never seems to notice. Now... what happened?" I'm about to explain when the doctor opens the door to the bluenette's room. "Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng? A word?" The pair goes pale white as they walk over to the man who holds all the answers to questions about Marinette's health. The only reason I can make out what they're saying in their hushed tones is because of my enhanced hearing thanks to the cat ears upon my head.

"She had a small panic attack, but I would suggest keeping any visitors out of the room until we move her back home." 

I know when I'm not welcome, and at that moment, it couldn't be any more clear.


	8. Puzzle Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OOF. This chapter is going to have some mild angst, so just a warning. Also, this is going to be the last chapter of Double Dipping, so I hope y'all enjoyed the ride. Unless, of course, y'all decide you want to see these 5 dorks defeat Hawk Moth? You can vote on Amino. Look for Buginette. I posted a poll there, cause I can't decide if I should add an extra chapter for Hawk Moth's defeat.

Cat Blanc

As I turn to walk away, a small hand lands on my shoulder. "Cat, don't go. Marinette will want to see you when she wakes up." I can tell there's more Sabine Cheng wants to say, but for some reason, she doesn't voice it. "Thank you, Mrs. Cheng, but I think she's more scared than relieved to see me." 

I shake off her hand, taking a few more steps before Tom Dupain steps in front of me. "Son, trust me. We know our daughter. She'll want to see you, and when she wakes up, we want you to be the first to see her. But... let's work on being less... evil, shall we?" I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know how, sir." The taller man chuckles as he places a hand on my shoulder. "Adrien, I know you're in there. You don't  **want** to hurt people. You want to keep them safe, no matter what.

"I know you, and I know that when it comes to those you love, you'll do anything. Just because you're a supervillain now doesn't mean you have to stay that way. All you have to do is believe in yourself, and you can do anything."

As I listen to the words of Marinette's father, my mind races. "B-but... I can't purify the akuma. That's Ladybug's specialty, and I put her in the hospital. What can I do?"

"Perhaps you can do more than you think, Cat Noir." I turn around to see Master Fu staring up at me with a kind smile. "M-Master?" A small chuckle is the only noise made as the three of us stare down at the Guardian. "Adrien, I understand that you're upset, and you're probably scared, but you must do exactly as I say."

I nod, ready for anything I might have to do.

"Now, you must tell me what caused you to be akumatized this time."

I recount the story for the Miraculous Guardian, as well as Marinette's parents. "So... what do I have to do from here?" Master Fu holds out his hand, and I place mine in his. He speaks in some ancient language, and my anger, sadness, and helplessness all seem to fade away. However, I'm still Cat Blanc.

"M-Master?" He shakes his head, obviously confused. "It was supposed to clear out the akuma. I don't know what else could be tethering it to you." I can feel my adrenaline kicking in, as I start pacing rapidly.

"Adrien, what are you doing? You must calm down." I don't listen, letting my thoughts consume me. 

 _Maybe I'm just so messed up that there's no fixing this. Maybe I'm stuck like this. What will Marinette think when she wakes up?_ I almost ask myself what  **Ladybug** will think when I remember that she is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.  _This is all my fault. If I had just told her from the beginning that I was Cat Noir, maybe she wouldn't have blown up. Maybe Hawk Moth wouldn't have gotten such a powerful pawn._

That's when I realized something big. "This is all just a big puzzle!" The adults stare at me like I've lost my mind, which I probably have. "Cat Noir?" I shake my head, laughing at my own stupidity. "I'm such an idiot!" 

Master Fu steps forward, saying, "Adrien, calm down..." I just laugh more. "No! This is just some big puzzle! It was all just a game! I became Cat Blanc because I couldn't accept what was right in front of me. Marinette and I  **were** made for each other, but we're also the key to destruction." Glances are exchanged between the adults. "What do you mean, Cat?" Instead of answering, I just keep rambling. "It's so obvious! Marinette and I are like creation when we're together, but if one of us is torn from the other, then the puzzle can't be solved!

"We need  **both** of us to find Hawk Moth, but in the process, one of us has to become an akuma, therefore tearing one from the other! Taking a piece out of the puzzle doesn't make the solution, but it does find a path for you to follow! All we have to do is let Marinette heal enough so that she doesn't need the hospital anymore, and then we can find Hawk Moth!"

When I finally finish talking, I turn to Master Fu. "Would it be possible to purify the akuma myself, and then follow it to Hawk Moth?" The Guardian smiles broadly.

"I was hoping you'd ask that." He opens a briefcase I hadn't seen until now, and I stare into it. "If we can get you to release it, I could set something of a tracker on it before letting it fly to its destination." Nodding my head, I return the smile.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to work!" 

** Some days and all-nighters later **

Cat Blanc

"Okay, Marinette has finally been released from the hospital. The tracker is ready. Anything else?"

Queen Bee, Carapace, Rena Rouge, and the Guardian all stare at me. "Oh. Yeah. Releasing the akuma." 

"What if I can't release it, Master?" He smiles softly, placing a reassuring hand on my arm. "Cat Noir, I promise you that we will do all we can to rid you of the pest. No matter what, you will be yourself again, and we will find Hawk Moth."

"I-I'm scared. What if Hawk Moth doesn't let the akuma go? What if I stay like this forever? What if-" Carapace rests a hand over my mouth, effectively shutting me up. "Dude. You need to relax. Master Fu knows what he's doing."

I nod my head, knowing he was right, and take a deep breath.

"Okay. How do I release the pest that took my body?" A few laughs sound, but they quickly die when the Guardian begins to talk. "All you have to do is think of your happiest thought, and will the bug out of your system. It should listen to you, as you have a stronger will than most victims."

I bow my head and release the akuma, now purified. I laugh a little, looking up at the butterfly as Master Fu shot the little tracker onto one of its wings. "Now what?"

Adrien

My friends stare at me, and I realize that I'm not Cat Noir. "A-Adrien?" Queen Bee almost lets her transformation go, but the Guardian gives her a glare that tells her to stay put. "Now, we wake up Marinette."

Nodding, I transform and we take off towards the bakery, Nino carrying Master Fu. "Four of Paris' superheroes? In my bakery? What can we do for you?" Now that my akuma had been purified, it looked like at least one couple was happy again. 

"Is Marinette up?" Rena Rouge walks up to the counter, and Sabine seems to recognize the girl beneath the mask. "Actually, she's sleeping, but we were about to wake her. If you want, you could go get her."

We walk past the Dupain-Cheng couple, through the kitchen, and up the stairs all the way to Marinette's room.

"Marinette, are you in here?" A muffled sound echoes through the room, and our attention turns to the loft bed. "M, c'mon. You've been away for nearly a week. We wanna talk to you." A head pokes just over the edge of the bed, and when her eyes find mine, she moans and begins to descend her stairs. 

"You have 2 minutes. Hi, Master Fu." As Alya steps forward, she holds out a hand, stopping her. "No. I want to hear it from Adrien." Gulping, I walk towards the bluenette. "Mari, I'm so sorry that I put you through any pain. I should've been more understanding. After all, I hadn't shown you who I was."

Releasing my transformation, I walk forward more. "Buginette, I wish I hadn't done what I had, and I'm sorry I put you in such a position, but I was being selfish, so I'm here to ask, no, beg for your forgiveness."

She lets out a giggle as she wraps her strong arms around me in a passionate hug. "Silly Kitty. Of course, I forgive you. I should be the one apologizing, though. I was the one who got you akumatized in the first place." I place a kiss on the top of her head, not much caring about our teammates watching us. "Should we find Hawk Moth, then?"

"First, I think our teammates deserve to know who their partners are, don't you?" I let her out of the hug, and she calls for Tikki. "I know the girls are aware, but Carapace, I'm Ladybug. Who wants to go next?"

One by one, transformations are released, until Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire, Chloé Bourgeois, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Master Fu, and myself are standing in a circle. "Are you sure that was the best decision, Marinette?" Glancing at us, she nods. "Yes, Master. I trust them with my life. Now, let's go find Hawk Moth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed what might be the last chapter of this long story. Remember to vote on Miraculous Amino if you can if you don't want this to end. Or you can comment here, and I will take it all into consideration. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. The next work I'll be making progress on will likely be AFA - A Freak Accident - or a newer one based off of a friend's dream, The Dinner Party - TDP.


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